Search

Ferroelectric all-inorganic halide perovskite nanocrystals with both spontaneous polarization and visible light absorption are promising candidates for designing ferroelectric photovoltaic applications. It remains a challenge to realize ferroelectric photovoltaic devices with all-inorganic halide perovskites that can be operated in the absence of an external electric field. Here we report that a popular all-inorganic halide perovskite nanocrystal, CsPbBr3, exhibits a ferroelectricity-driven photovoltaic effect under visible light in the absence of an external electric field. Pristine CsPbBr3nanocrystals exhibit intrinsic ferroelectric key properties with a notable saturated polarization of ∼0.15 μC/cm2and a high Curie temperature of 462 K, driven by the stereochemical activity of the Pb(II) lone pair. Furthermore, application of an external electric field allows the photovoltaic effect to be enhanced and the spontaneous polarization to be switched with the direction of the electric field. CsPbBr3nanocrystals exhibit a robust fatigue performance and a prolonged photoresponse under continuous illumination in the absence of an external electric field. These findings establish all-inorganic halide perovskite nanocrystals as potential candidates for designing photoferroelectric devices by coupling optical functionalities and ferroelectric responses.

The STR typing has been regarded as the most reliable and robust genetic tool having a pivotal role in the criminal justice system. High mutation rates have led to widespread polymorphism in the STRs which increases the probability of divergence of a specific population. Therefore, two tetra- and two pentanucleotide repeat STR loci were evaluated for their informativeness and expediency in the central Indian population. Two hundred unrelated individuals of the central India were included in this study for DNA isolation followed by multiplex PCR and genotyping using four STR markers, i.e., D2S1338, D19S433, Penta E and Penta D. All STR markers followed the Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium in the studied population. Out of all, Penta E (15p15-39; AAAGA) was found to be the most polymorphic (25–120 bp), highest heterozygosity (92.0%), lowest matching probability (0.025), highest power of discrimination (0.975), polymorphic information content (PIC) (0.91), power of exclusion (0.936) and typical paternity index (6.25). The aptness of the Penta E STR marker in context to its forensic and paternity parameters strongly suggests its applicability in the central Indian population.

Flexible paper-based thermoelectric generators (PTEGs) have drawn significant interest in recent years due to their various advantages such as flexibility, adaptability, environment friendliness, low cost, and easy fabrication process. However, the reported PTEG’s output performance still lags behind the performance of other flexible devices as it is not so easy to obtain a compact film on a paper-based substrate with desirable power output with the standard thermoelectric (TE) materials that have been previously utilized. In this direction, Cu2SnS3(CTS), an earth-abundant, ternary sulfide, can be a good choice p-type semiconductor, when paired with a suitable n-type TE material. In this article, CTS nanocubes are synthesized via a simple hot injection method and a thick film device on emery paper was prepared and optimized. Furthermore, a flexible, 20-pair PTEG is fabricated with p-type CTS legs and traced and pressed n-type bismuth legs assembled using Kapton tape that produced a significantly high output power of 2.18 μW (output power density ∼0.85 nW cm–2K–1) for a temperature gradient of ΔT= 80 K. The TE properties are also supported by finite element simulation. The bending test conducted for the PTEG suggests device stability for up to 800 cycles with <0.05% change in the internal resistance. A proof-of-concept field-based demonstration for energy harvesting from waste heat of a motorbike exhaust is shown recovering an output power of ∼42 nW for ΔT= 20 K, corroborating the experimental and theoretical results.

Surgical needle insertion is generally used in the current advanced surgery process, particularly in the area of biopsy, MIS or minimally invasive surgery, brachytherapy, etc. During the needle insertion performance into the soft tissue, one of the most important issues is the tissue deformation that affects the needle engagement inside the tissue material. We have presented an energy-based insertion model, and the conical shape of deformed tissue is assumed. The tests are performed on PVA gel samples, and the model is analyzed to determine the tissue deformation volume during needle insertion into soft tissue. The procedures for evaluating the puncture force which creates the deformation of the contact point. With the help of the needle insertion experimental investigation, a geometric model of tissue deformation phenomenon and insertion force was investigated. The active needle-soft tissue contacts are studied, and with the help of the energy-based insertion model, the different factors like strain energy, potential, and dissipated energies are investigated. The tests are completed on the tissue mimic PVA gel samples, and the results show the volume and area of tissue deformation; at the time of initial needle insertion, the maximum tissue deformation arises and during the needle movement in the post-perforation stage, the deformation gradually decreases as the more peripheral work is altered into the vicious and degenerate energies. The maximum insertion force was noticed in 14° bevel angle needle tip and at 3 mm/s needle insertion speed, the volume of tissue deformation was maximum. The maximum deformation of the issue arises at the initial perforate position, and the distortion reduces along with the raises of the needle movement during the post-insertion period as the needle insertion work is converted into vicious and dissolute energies.

A mild and convenient strategy has been developed for the para-selective chalcogenation of anilide scaffolds via C–H bond functionalization. This methodology employs one of the most earth-abundant and inexpensive Cu(II) catalysts and a commercially available simple aryl chalcogen source without any complex directing template, exogenous ligand, acid/base, oxidant, or other additives. The key feature of this methodology is an impressive regioselectivity along with a wide range of functional group tolerance with good to excellent yields under aerobic conditions.

The surgical needle insertion process is widely applied in medical interference. During the insertion process, the inhomogeneity and denseness of the soft tissues make it tough to detect the essential tissue damage, a rupture occurs that contains huge forces and material deformations. This study is very important, as all the above-mentioned factors are very significant for modern invasive surgery so that the success rate of the surgery can increase and the patient recovers smoothly. This investigation intends to perform minimally invasive surgical (MIS) procedures and reduce the living tissue damage while performing the biopsy, PCNL, etc. A fracture mechanics method was analyzed to create a needle insertion model which can estimate the needle insertion force during inset in tissue-like PVA gel. The force model was calculated by needle insertion experimentally, and also estimated the needle tip geometry, and diameter influences the fracture toughness. Validate exp. results with simulation results and other papers. It is observed that needle diameter has a significant effect on fracture toughness, whereas the insertion velocity has a slight impact on the fracture toughness. During the rotational needle insertion process, the winds-up of the gel occurs and the diameter of the hole was increasing with increased rpm. Maximum insertion force was noticed in the 27 G needle at 5 mm/s. The interaction function will be less at the maximum fracture development region.

Encapsulation into nanoparticles (NPs) is a potential method to deliver pharmaceutical/cosmetic actives deep into the skin. However, understanding the NP formulations and underlying mechanism of active delivery to skin has scarcely been studied. We report a simulation platformthat screens, evaluates, formulates, and provides atomic-resolution interpretation of NP-based formulations, and reveals the active permeation mechanism from NPs to skin. First, three actives, namely, ferulic acid (FA), clotrimazole (CZE), and tretinoin (TTN), and five lipid excipients’ (Compritol, Precirol, Geleol, Gelot, Gelucire) combinations were screened by MD simulations for the best pairs. For each suggested pair, the actual active and lipid compositions for the synthesis of stable NP formulations were then obtained by experiments. MD simulations demonstrate that in NP formulations, FA and CZE actives are present at the surface of the NPs, whereas TTN actives are present at both the surface and interior of the NP core. The NP shapes obtained by simulation perfectly match with experiments. For each NP, separate MD simulations illustrate that active-loaded NPs approach the skin surface quickly, and then actives translocate from NP surface to skin surface followed by penetration of NPs through skin. The driving force for the translocation which initiates during the penetration process, is the stronger active-skin interaction compared to active-NP interaction. Permeation free energy indicates spontaneous transfer of actives from solution phase to the surface of the skin bilayer. The free energy barriers are increased in the order of FA < TTN < CZE. Significantly lower diffusions of actives are obtained in the main barrier region compared to bulk, and the average diffusion coefficients of actives are in the same order of magnitude (∼10–6cm2/s). The estimated permeability coefficients (log P) of actives are mainly governed by free energy barriers. The study would facilitate the development of novel lipid-based NP formulations for personal-care/pharmaceutical applications.

Needle insertion is executed in numerous medical and brachytherapy events. Exact needle insertion into inhomogeneous soft biological tissue is of useful importance due to its significance in clinical diagnosis (especially percutaneous) and treatments. The surgical needles used in such processes can deflect during the percutaneous process. Needle deflecting which affects needle — soft tissue interface and needle controllability have a crucial role in establishment precision. In this paper, we have analyzed a mechanics-based model both rotational and non-rotational needle insertion, and studied the deflection phenomenon in both insertion cases, we validated it with a real-time nonlinear Dassault Systèmes®ABAQUS simulation model. For definite contact force, the maximum the contact stiffness was, the minimum it inserted, the cohesive surface model was used to investigate the needle insertion analysis, where the fracture point was defined by a failure strain and with the help of the in, the fully failed components would be removed. Using living tissue comparable PVA gel materials, the needle insertion force model is developed from insertion experimentations with the help of two different processes (rotational and non-rotational needle insertion). In a rotational needle, deflection is less than in a non-rotational needle. The preliminary insertion was observed in the rotational needle at 1.261 mm (experiment), and 1.538 mm (simulation), and for non-rotational needle insertion, the initial insertion was noticed at 1.756 mm (experiment) and 1.982 mm (simulation). The main aim of this study is to navigate the surgical needle in an accurate way to reduce the erroneousness for a clinical diagnosis like anesthesia, brachytherapy, biopsy, and modern microsurgery operation.

In this study, Federated Learning (FL) has been used for decision making on decentralized Internet of Things (IoT) devices which store private educational data. The decentralized IoT devices form the edge devices at the institution/client level, i.e. each edge device is a single institution; and the decision making is done at the server (university) level. We propose a social Internet of Education Things framework which generates the correlations between the Course Outcomes (CO) and the Program Outcomes (PO) at the client for a certain course. The correlations are then aggregated at the server using fed-averaging. The CO-PO correlations at the edge are generated using distance metric between the semantics of the CO, the PO, and the syllabus. The CO-PO correlations are generated at the client in two ways — manually as well as using an AI model based on semantic analysis. The deviations between the manual and the AI model output is noted and sent to the server which aggregates the deviations, and feeds them back to the AI models at the clients. The clients adjust their CO-PO correlations based on the aggregated deviation values, and generate final CO-PO correlations based on the threshold values of [0, 1, 2, 3] corresponding to [No Correlation, Low, Medium, High] correlations. We observe a performance accuracy of 83.33% and a loss of 0.51 for our framework. To the entirety of our understanding, this study is the first attempt to use FL for generating CO-PO correlations at the edge/institution level.

Experimentally and numerically obtained displacement mode shapes are utilized as input data to artificial neural networks (ANNs) and mode shape curvature technique. Frequency responses (FRs) in the form of displacement mode shapes with varying damage levels are extracted using the Bruel & Kjaer instrument. Two identical specimens of a cantilever beam are considered with different damage locations. It is demonstrated that the measured frequency response needs to be made error-free to locate damages. ANN training algorithms are utilized to reduce the measurement error from the measured frequency response (FR) data set. The analysis is more robust due to the use of ANN application before extracting mode shape curvature. The trained data sets are then utilized to produce the mode shapes curvatures for all the damage cases using central difference approximation. Damage severity and locations are then identified by analyzing the absolute mode shape curvature differences in different damage scenarios.

In the present study, biosynthesis of iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) was achieved using three manglicolous fungi, STSP10 (Trichoderma asperellum), STSP 19 (Phialemoniopsis ocularis) and STSP 27 (Fusarium incarnatum) isolated from estuarine mangrove sediment of Indian Sundarban. Synthesised IONPs were initially monitored by UV-Vis spectrophotometer and further characterised by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, which provides information regarding proteins and other organic residues involved with iron nanoparticle. The morphology of iron nanoparticle were found to be spherical with average particle size ranging between 25 ± 3.94 nm for T. asperellum, 13.13 ± 4.32 nm for P. ocularisand 30.56 ± 8.68 nm for F. incarnatum, which were confirmed by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Energy-dispersive x-ray analysis (EDX) analysis was performed during FESEM study to confirm the presence of elemental Fe in the sample. X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern has shown that the IONPs are iron oxide in nature.

There is an increase of chronic heart diseases, which require periodic monitoring and anytime healthcare nursing facility to a patient. Due to several constraints, availing physical medical healthcare is a nightmare for some patients. With the advancement in medical sciences and Internet of Things (IoT), the status of a patient can be monitored ubiquitously. As a primary diagnostic assessment, correct heart rate and body temperature are the two necessary parameters to be measured first. Considering the scenario we have developed an IoT based healthcare model SIMAS, to record both parameters efficiently and with desired accuracy. It would be suitable for the persons undergoing intense physical activities - especially sports persons. The collection of real-time data can be carried out by the body sensors attached to the person and can also be monitored remotely. In addition the online monitoring process ensures prevention of any mishaps at any event places.

Flexible and foldable paper‐based thermoelectric generators (PTEGs) have drawn industrial attention due to the wide applications in heat energy harvesting and sensing. Herein, optimization of the output performances of flexible and hybrid inorganic–organic PTEGs fabricated on stationery paper substrates from poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) and graphite as p‐type and n‐type materials, respectively, is presented. By choosing simplistic processes such as polyethyleneimine (PEI)‐treated graphite pencil traces and brush‐painted PEDOT:PSS films, robust and sustainable PTEG devices are fabricated. It is first time shown that different qualities of stationery papers can have significant impact on the output performance of PTEGs, attributed to their variance in substrate roughness. Thus, output powers of ≈1.93 and ≈0.68 nW for ΔT= 70 K are obtained for TE generators prepared from emery and office paper legs (four‐pair assembled on Kapton), respectively, suggesting emery paper to have significant better performance. Transient flexibility and fatigue of each device type are also tested where emery paper–based PTEG appears to be more robust. A detail comparison of the device performances on the different types of paper substrates are exclusively presented experimentally and thereafter computationally validated by COMSOL modeling to predictably control and enhance the output performance of reported PTEGs. Herein, output performances of paper‐based thermoelectric generators (PTEGs) are studied as function of substrate roughness of different grades of stationery papers. PTEG is fabricated using p‐type poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate and n‐type graphite. Emery paper‐based device shows manifold performance enhancement (1.93 nW) as compared to office paper‐based device (0.68 nW) at ΔT= 70 K, also validated by COMSOL.

Among various caspases, caspase-9 plays a crucial role in the initiation phase of apoptotic cascade. To investigate about it in a high-valued freshwater fish species rohu (Labeo rohita), we cloned and characterized full-length caspase-9 cDNA (Lrcasp9) and analyzed its expression following bacterial infections and anti-viral vaccinations. The Lrcasp9 consisted of 1619-bp nucleotides (nt) having an ORF of 1302 nt encoding a polypeptide of 433 amino acids (aa) with a molecular mass of ∼ 48.20 kDa. Structurally, Lrcasp9 comprised of one CARD domain (1–89 aa) and one CASc domain (161–430 aa). The CASc domain consisted of one large subunit (p20) spanning from 168 to 300 aa, and a small sub unit (p10) from 343 to 430 aa. The caspase family signature histidine active motif H233SAYDCCVVIILSHG247, cysteine active motif K287PKLFFIQACGG298and pentapeptide “QACGG” active sites present in the p20 domain of Lrcasp9 was conserved across fish species, mouse and human caspase-9. Phylogenetically, it was closely related to common carp caspase-9 and exhibited significant similarity (90.1%) and identity (85.3%) in their amino acid sequence. In the uninfected fish, Lrcasp9 gene expression was highest (~ 5.3-fold) in blood and lowest in gill. In response to Aeromonas hydrophilaand Edwardsiella tardainfection and rhabdoviral vaccination, Lrcasp9 gene expression was significantly (p> 0.05) enhanced in gill, liver, kidney and spleen, and also in vitro during cell death, suggesting activation of the intrinsic apoptotic pathway in bacterial infections and anti-viral vaccination in Labeo rohita.

Nanotechnology deals with matter at dimensions within 1–100 nm, with such material displaying a wide range of applications in industry, medicine and environmental remediation. Futuristic approaches for the green synthesis of nanomaterials (NMs) and nanoparticles (NPs) viamodification to control their size and shape can enhance their qualities for future applications. The new horizon of opportunities and potential for innovation together with the impact of recent advances in nanotechnology research have led to the recognition of these materials for application in environmental remediation. Diverse microorganisms, microbially synthesized compounds and plant extracts-mediated biosynthesized NMs/NPs have significant relevance in remediation. Biological nanofactories yield NPs that are considered more cost-effective and environmentally friendly than conventional chemical methods. Nanoremediation incorporates NMs, NPs, nanomembranes and nanopowders for detection as well as for the removal of toxic metals and organic compounds from the environment. Various processes of adsorption, transformation, photocatalysis and catalytic reduction have been achieved by various inorganic and organic nanoscale materials for the removal of toxic metals and organic compounds. Nanobiosensors have also been utilized to detect heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants and could be commercialized for their application in environment sampling. This review summarizes the different types of biologically synthesized NMs/NPs together with their mechanisms for the biosensing and remediation of environmental pollutants.

The microbially derived polyhydroxyalkanoates biopolymers could impact the global climate scenario by replacing the conventional non-degradable, petrochemical-based polymer. The biogenesis, characterization and properties of PHAs by Bacillusspecies using renewable substrates have been elaborated by many for their wide applications. On the other hand Bacillusspecies are advantageous over other bacteria due to their abundance even in extreme ecological conditions, higher growth rates even on cheap substrates, higher PHAs production ability, and the ease of extracting the PHAs. Bacillusspecies possess hydrolytic enzymes that can be exploited for economical PHAs production. This review summarizes the recent trends in both non-growth and growth associated PHAs production by Bacillusspecies which may provide direction leading to future research towards this growing quest for biodegradable plastics, one more critical step ahead towards sustainable development.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in soil retain for a quite long period due to their hydrophobicity and aggregation properties. Biofilm-forming marine bacterial consortium (named as NCPR), composed of Stenotrophomonas acidaminiphilaNCW702, Alcaligenes faecalisNCW402, Pseudomonas mendocinaNR802, Pseudomonas aeruginosaN6P6, and Pseudomonas pseudoalcaligenesNP103, was used for the bioremediation of PAHs in a soil microcosm. Phenanthrene and pyrene were used as reference PAHs. Parameters that can affect PAH degradation, such as chemotaxis, solubility of PAHs in extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), and catechol 2,3-dioxygenase (C23O) activity, were evaluated. P. aeruginosaN6P6 and P. pseudoalcaligenesNP103 showed chemotactic movement towards both the reference PAHs. The solubility of both the PAHs was increased with an increase in EPS concentration (extracted from all the 5 selected isolates). Significantly (P <0.001) high phenanthrene (70.29%) and pyrene (55.54%) degradation was observed in the bioaugmented soil microcosm. The C23O enzyme activity was significantly (P < 0.05) higher in the bioaugmented soil microcosm with phenanthrene added at 173.26 ± 2.06 nmol min−1mg−1protein than with pyrene added at 61.80 ± 2.20 nmol min−1mg−1protein. The C23O activity and gas chromatography-mass spectrometer analyses indicated catechol pathway of phenanthrene metabolism. However, the metabolites obtained from the soil microcosm added with pyrene revealed both the catechol and phthalate pathways for pyrene degradation.

ABSTRACTQuorum sensing (QS) is a prevalently found intercellular signaling system in bacteria. QS system bestows behavioral coordination ability in bacteria at high population density. QS via acylated homoserine lactone (AHL) is extensively conserved in Gram-negative bacteria and plays crucial role in regulating many biological processes. The role of QS genes coding for AHL synthase enzyme (lasI and rhlI) was established in bioremediation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) viz. phenanthrene and pyrene. AHL producing biofilm forming marine bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosaN6P6 was isolated by selective enrichment on PAHs. AHL production was confirmed using AHL bioreporters and GC-MS analysis. Biofilm development and its architecture was significantly (P < 0.05) affected by alterations in lasI/rhlI expression. The lasI/rhlI gene expression pattern significantly influences biofilm formation and subsequent degradation of PAHs. The integrated density of Pseudomonas aeruginosaN6P6 biofilm was highest for 48 h old biofilm and the PAHs (phenanthrene and pyrene) degradation was also found maximum (85.6 % and 47.56 %) with this biofilm. A significant positive correlation (P< 0.05) was observed between lasIexpression and PAHs degradation. The role of QS genes in biofilm formation and degradation of PAHs was validated by blocking the transcription of lasI/rhlI by a QS inhibitor (QSI) tannic acid. Further, application of such QS positive isolates in PAHs contaminated sites could be a promising strategy to improve the PAHs bioremediation.

Bacteriotherapy and nanotechnology have shown remarkable potential in diagnostic and therapeutic applications for various diseases. Individual impacts of these micro-nano systems over different aspects of human health are well studied; however, an integrated system of bacteria-nanoparticle (NP) conjugation is less explored. The untamed potential of bacteria-NP conjugation could be a new tool for diagnosis and treatment of invasive diseases like malaria, tuberculosis and cancer. Mammalian cells exhibit cytosis as their defense mechanism when they encounter foreign elements such as bacteria. In these mammalian cells, during phagocytosis, bacteria are ruptured and lysed by lysozymes. A bacterium carrying the drug-tagged NP would be engulfed in the same manner and ultimately reaches the target cells. Rapid and continuous cell divisions in the cancer tissues lead to defective vessels, underdeveloped cellcell interconnects, development of hypoxic areas and heterogeneous population of tumor cells. This unorganized and poorly developed angiogenesis in tumor cells makes it difficult for conventional chemotherapeutic drugs to localize the tumors selectively. In the present scenario of diagnosis and treatment of cancer/tumor cells, it could be expected that the existing bacteriotherapy with the advanced nanotechnology would be a way further in the targeted drug delivery for cancer therapy. This review emphasizes the potential applications of bacteriotherapy with nanotechnology for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.

Increased contamination of the environment with toxic pollutants has paved the way for efficient strategies which can be implemented for environmental restoration. The major problem with conventional methods used for cleaning of pollutants is inefficiency and high economic costs. Bioremediation is a growing technology having advanced potential of cleaning pollutants. Biofilm formed by various micro-organisms potentially provide a suitable microenvironment for efficient bioremediation processes. High cell density and stress resistance properties of the biofilm environment provide opportunities for efficient metabolism of number of hydrophobic and toxic compounds. Bacterial biofilm formation is often regulated by quorum sensing (QS) which is a population density-based cell–cell communication process via signaling molecules. Numerous signaling molecules such as acyl homoserine lactones, peptides, autoinducer-2, diffusion signaling factors, and α-hydroxyketones have been studied in bacteria. Genetic alteration of QS machinery can be useful to modulate vital characters valuable for environmental applications such as biofilm formation, biosurfactant production, exopolysaccharide synthesis, horizontal gene transfer, catabolic gene expression, motility, and chemotaxis. These qualities are imperative for bacteria during degradation or detoxification of any pollutant. QS signals can be used for the fabrication of engineered biofilms with enhanced degradation kinetics. This review discusses the connection between QS and biofilm formation by bacteria in relation to bioremediation technology.

Ocean acidification (OA) is one of the global issues caused by rising atmospheric CO2. The rising pCO2and resulting pH decrease has altered ocean carbonate chemistry. Microbes are key components of marine environments involved in nutrient cycles and carbon flow in marine ecosystems. However, these marine microbes and the microbial processes are sensitive to ocean pH shift. Thus, OA affects the microbial diversity, primary productivity and trace gases emission in oceans. Apart from that, it can also manipulate the microbial activities such as quorum sensing, extracellular enzyme activity and nitrogen cycling. Short-term laboratory experiments, mesocosm studies and changing marine diversity scenarios have illustrated undesirable effects of OA on marine microorganisms and ecosystems. However, from the microbial perspective, the current understanding on effect of OA is based mainly on limited experimental studies. It is challenging to predict response of marine microbes based on such experiments for this complex process. To study the response of marine microbes towards OA, multiple approaches should be implemented by using functional genomics, new generation microscopy, small-scale interaction among organisms and/or between organic matter and organisms. This review focuses on the response of marine microorganisms to OA and the experimental approaches to investigate the effect of changing ocean carbonate chemistry on microbial mediated processes.

Poly-β-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) is the intracellular lipid reserve accumulated by many bacteria. The most potent terrestrial bacterium Bacillus cereusSE-1 showed more PHB accumulating cells (22.1 and 40% after 48 and 72 h) than that of the marine Bacillussp. CS-605 (5 and 33% after 48 and 72 h). Both the isolates harbored phbBgene and the characteristics C=O peak was observed in the extracted PHB by Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy analysis. Maltose was found to be the most suitable carbon source for the accumulation of PHB in B. cereusSE-1. The extracted PHB sample from B. cereusSE-1 was blended with a thermoplastic starch (TS) and an increased thermoplasticity and decreased crystallinity were observed after blending in comparison to the standard PHB. The melting temperature (Tm), melting enthalpy (∆Hf), and crystallinity (Xc) of the blended PHB sample were found to be 109.4 °C, 64.58 J/g, and 44.23%, respectively.

Nanomaterials have made a significant impact on cancer therapeutics and an emergence of polymeric nanoparticle provides a unique platform for delivery of drug molecules of diverse nature. Nanoparticles can be targeted at the tumor cells due to enhanced permeability and retention effect. Moreover, nanoparticles can be grafted by various ligands on their surface to target the specific receptors overexpressed by cancer cells or angiogenic endothelial cells. These approaches ultimately result in longer circulation half-lives, improved drug pharmacokinetics, reduced side effects of therapeutically active substances and overcoming cancer chemo-resistance thereby enhancing the therapeutic efficacy of the treatment. This review article summarizes the recent efforts in cancer nanochemotherapeutics using polymeric nanoparticles with a special reference to their pharmacokinetic and biodistribution profiles, their role in reversing multidrug resistance in cancer and strategies of tumor targeting with them, along with the challenges in the field.

Most of the soil bacteria which are continuously exposed to mercury present in soil and sediments of lakes and rivers have genetically adapted to resist its toxicity. In the present study, mercury resistant bacterial population was enumerated from sediment samples of Rourkela Steel Plant, Odisha and a highly mercury resistant strain (MIC = 100 ppm), identified as Bacillussp., was characterized by various biochemical tests. Mercury levels in the collected sediments were in the range of 0.054–0.079 ppm. Percentages of mercury resistant bacteria in sediments at four sites were 42, 26.32, 67.56, 83.93 % respectively. The highly resistant strain Bacillussp. could grow well with 7 and 8 pH, 45 °C temperature and 6 ppt NaCl concentration. MIC of Zn, Cu, Fe and Cd are 40, 40, 40 and 20 ppm respectively. The isolate Bacillussp. SD-43 which has shown greater tolerance of mercury besides volatilizing 60.06 % of mercury as HgCl2is attributed to the adaptation towards various stress conditions and may be potentially utilized in the process of bioremediation of mercury in contaminated area.

We report a new crystalline porous organosilica material, which stabilized tiny AgNPs to obtain a robust nanocatalyst Ag@TSOS-1 that efficiently catalyses the complete conversion of styrene into predominantly styrene oxide using CO2as an oxidant in a high pressure autoclave reactor.

Abstract: Actinomycetes population from continental slope sediment of the Bay of Bengal was studied. Samples were collected during two voyages of FORV Sagar Sampada in 2004 (May–June) and 2005 (July) respectively from 11 transects (each transect had ca. 200 m, 500 m, and 1 000 m depth stations). The physicochemical parameters of overlying water, and sediment samples were also recorded. The actinomycete population ranged from 5.17 to 51.94 CFU/g dry sediment weight and 9.38 to 45.22 CFU/g dry sediment weight during the two cruises respectively. No actinomycete colony was isolated from stations in 1 000 m depth. Two-way analysis of variance showed significant variation among stations (ANOVA two-way, P<0.05), but no significance was found between the two cruises (ANOVA two-way, P<0.05). Populations in stations in 500 m depth in both cruises were higher than that of 200 m depth stations with statistically insignificant difference (ANOVA two-way, P>0.05). Three actinomycetes genera were identified. Streptomyces was found to be the dominating one in both the cruises, followed by Micromonospora, and Actinomyces. The spore of Streptomyces isolates showed the abundance in spiral spore chain. Spore surface was smooth. Multiple regression analysis revealed that the influencing physico-chemical factors were sediment pH, sediment temperature, TOC, porosity, salinity, and pressure. The media used in the present study was prepared with seawater. Thus, they may represent an autochthonous marine flora and deny the theory of land runoff carriage into the sea for adaptation to the salinity of the seawater and sediments.

The hypoglycemic effect of an exo-polymer produced from a submerged mycelial culture of Lentinus edodeswas investigated in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. The administration of the exo-polymer (200mg/kg BW) reduced the plasma glucose level by as much as 21.5%, and increased plasma insulin by 22.1% as compared to the control group. It also lowered the plasma total cholesterol and triglyceride levels by 25.1 and 44.5%, respectively. Gel chromatography of the exo-polymer revealed a single peak which is likely to have been a glycoprotein with a molecular weight of 52kDa and was found to contain 83.5% carbohydrate and 16.5% protein. The Sugar and amino acid compositions of the exo-polymer were analyzed in detail.

Biofilm forming and heavy metal resistant marine bacterial strain Pseudomonas chengduensisPPSS-4 was isolated from the contaminated marine sediment of Paradip Port, Odisha, India. The strain showed biofilm formation up to 100 mg/L of multi-metal [Pb(II), Cr(VI), and Cd(II)] supplementation in the culture medium. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed aggregation of rod-shaped cells in the extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) matrix of biofilm. Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) exhibited a higher nucleic acid to the α-polysaccharide ratio in the biofilm, and the observed thickness was ~21 µm. The metal uptake potential of biofilm culture was higher than planktonic culture both in single and multi-metal solutions. FESEM-EDS analysis revealed the sequestration of multi-metals by bacterial cells and biofilm-EPS. FTIR analysis of bacterial EPS further ensured the interaction of functional groups such as –OH, –NH, and P=O with the metal ions. The maximum removal of Pb, Cr, and Cd by the bacterial biomass was observed at 37°C within 4 h of contact time at pH 6, and 4% salinity for Pb and Cr, and 6% salinity for Cd. The present study revealed that the marine bacterium P. chengduensisPPSS-4 can remove multi-metals, and this bacterium could be efficiently utilized for the remediation of heavy metals in the contaminated environment.

The marine bacterium Pseudomonas furukawaiiPPS-19 isolated from the oil-polluted site of Paradip port, Odisha, India, was found to form a strong biofilm in 2% (v/v) crude oil. Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy (CLSM) revealed biofilm components along with multi-layered dense biofilm of rod-shaped cells with 64.7 µm thickness. Scanning electron micrographs showed similar biofilm architecture covered with a gluey matrix of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) in the presence of 2% (v/v) crude oil. The architecture of purified EPS was also studied through FESEM that exposed its porous and three-dimensional flakes-like structure. The structural characterization by FTIR revealed that EPS was composed of primary alkane, amines, halide, hydroxyl groups, uronic acid, and saccharides. The XRD profile exhibited an amorphous phase of the EPS with a crystallinity index of 0.336. The EPS showed three-step thermal decomposition and thermal stability up to 600 °C, as confirmed by TGA and DSC thermogram. EPS produced by marine bacterium P. furukawaiiPPS-19 could act as bioemulsifier and showed the highest emulsifying activity of 66.23% on petrol. The emulsifying ability of the EPS was superior to the commercial polymer xanthan. The emulsion also showed high stability with time and temperature exposure. The marine bacterium P. furukawaiiPPS-19 and the EPS complex showed 89.52% degradation of crude oil within 5 days. These properties demonstrated the potential of biofilm-forming marine bacterium as bioemulsifier for its application in the bioremediation of oil-polluted sites.